Thursday 9 August 2012 15.06 EDT
First published on Thursday 9 August 2012 15.06 EDT

Surrey want to sign the prolific Middlesex opening batsman Chris Rogers for next season and have had talks with the player's agent.

Rogers is already one of the best travelled players on the county circuit, having played for Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Northamptonshire. He joined Middlesex last year and in 15 championship matches scored 1,286 runs at an average of 58.45, with four centuries. That county are already discussing fresh terms with the player, whose two-year contract at Lord's expires at the end of the year.

He will be 35 later this month and belongs to a generation of gifted Australian batsmen who had difficulty breaking into the international side – he played his solitary Test match in 2008. He has led Middlesex on occasions this season, in the absence of Neil Dexter, and also captained Derbyshire.

As well as leading Surrey's batting, Rogers would be a strong captaincy candidate. The current captain, Rory Hamilton-Brown, has been on compassionate leave since the death of his friend Tom Maynard in June, and has only recently returned to the second team. Surrey have also lost the services of Mark Ramprakash, who retired in mid-season after realising that he no longer featured in the county's plans.

They have since signed Worcestershire's former England batsman, Vikram Solanki, for next year. But that was only the start of a major rebuilding programme. Their only problem will be luring players to what could be a second division county last season. Their innings defeat at Durham – who had been bottom of the table – intensified the pressure on the biggest club in county cricket.

They have some of the best young players on the circuit but now they appear anxious to back them up with older players. They have already signed Jonathan Lewis, 37 this month, Murali Kartik, 36 next month, Gareth Batty, 34, as well as Solanki, who will be 37 next season, and now, they hope, Rogers.